Twelve Iowa football players hospitalized with rhabdomyolysis

By
Cindy Boren

Updated at 7:07 p.m.

Twelve University of Iowa football players have been hospitalized in Iowa City for treatment of a kidney condition, according to the Cedar Rapids Gazette.

The players are recovering from rhabdomyolysis, an exercise-induced breakdown of muscle fibers that releases myoglobin into the bloodstream. That would seem to confirm a Facebook entry by freshman linebacker Jim Poggi, who wrote that his urine had turned brown. It's also the same ailment that sidelined Albert Haynesworth briefly during Redskins training camp last summer.

Citing privacy laws, the school declined to give any information other than to say that the players are in stable condition and are responding to treatment at University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics.

"The student-athletes were admitted throughout the course of Monday evening," an unidentified doctor said in a statement released by the university. "All of the individuals are responding well to treatment as of Tuesday morning. All are in safe and stable condition."

There was no information on when the players might be released.

"Coach Kirk Ferentz is out of town recruiting, but he is aware of the situation and is being kept abreast of the progress being made," Gary Barta, Iowa's director of athletics, said in the school-released statement. "Our No. 1 concern is the safety of our student-athletes, so we are pleased with the positive feedback. Our next step is to find out what happened so we can avoid this happening in the future."

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